(1) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an ink-jet type recorder that records characters and images by spouting a jet of ink onto recording media.
(2) Description of the Related Art
Until recently, ink-jet type recorders in practical use have recorded the characters and images through ink adhesion to the recording media by exploiting a force acting toward the recording media with a use of piezoelectric-elements. However, high polymer gel such as artificial muscle polymers is proposed as an alternative of the piezoelectric-elements for possible cost reduction and downsizing.
For example, as is disclosed in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application No. 2-99386, ink is absorbed in the high polymer gel that repeats contradiction/expansion with thermal or light energy; the ink adheres to the recording media when the force of an electric field in addition to the thermal or light energy are supplied thereto.
Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application No. 1-277839 discloses an image former composed of a transparent holder, and transparent electrode layers, photosensitive layers, mechanochemical layers, and fine pore layers, each alternately placed thereon; the mechanochemical layers made of the high polymer gel contract when electricity is supplied thereto, whereby the high polymer gel presses the ink absorbed therein out onto the recording media.
Likewise, Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application No. 62-60690 discloses the high polymer gel that repeats contradiction/expansion with electricity; the ink absorbed in the high polymer gel adheres to the recording media when it responds to electricity.
However, it is difficult to improve a recording speed with the ink-jet type recorders using these high polymer gel due to inferior response thereof. Also, it is difficult to adjust electricity when their compositions have changed as a result of desiccation. In addition, the quality of images deteriorates due to changes in expansion degrees caused by gradual adhesion of coloring materials on the high polymer gel in the course of the operation. Furthermore, with the recorder for a higher resolution, 16 dot/mm more or less, the high polymer gel, that retains a small amount of deviation, requires high energy and therefore invites an increase in manufacturing cost.